1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card processing device and card processing method for moving a card and communicating with the card, and in particular to a card processing device and card processing method for diagnosing by using the card.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, systems that use cards are becoming popular. These cards include magnetic cards, IC cards, optical cards, etc. Moreover, the methods of use include, credit cards, pre-paid cards, debit cards, or individual ID card, or special-use cards for performing management or maintenance of equipment or systems.
These kinds of cards are rapidly increasing and becoming very widely used in industries such as financial, manufacturing and service industries. Therefore, devices for reading and writing this kind of card data are also rapidly increasing and spreading over many various industries.
Card processors are being used in accordance to the type of card as follows. At small stores and businesses, one or two credit card or pre-paid card processors are located at every store, while at large stores such as department stores or supermarkets there is a processor in each sales department or for each cash register.
There are also many examples of ID card processors being used for time-card management systems, entrance management gate systems, and the like and set up in companies, factories, departments or office floors. Often there are one or two separate machines for each location.
Moreover, special-purpose card processors for equipment and system management, maintenance and the like, are located in the proximity of equipment and used for entering specific kinds of data and data for each individual equipment.
The use of card processors is widely spreading in this way, and they are being set up as described above at each individual location. Also, each card device is managed and maintained by the respective users. These card devices are equipped with self-diagnosis functions, and the devices are diagnosed by diagnosis function.
The following kinds of diagnosis methods have been proposed as diagnosis technology for these kinds of card devices. A first prior technology uses a special data diagnosis card for performing diagnosis according to the data of the card used of a system where the processing contents of the card processor changes (for example Japanese patent No. 2720936).
A second prior technology is for a taxi card system where diagnosis of the card device is started by operating specific keys on a keyboard (for example Japanese examined patent No. H7-43784).
However, the prior technology has the following problems.
(1) In the first prior technology it is necessary to use a specific card for diagnosis of the equipment. This special diagnosis card must be carefully handled so as not to mistake it for other cards, and it is usually stored in a locked storage box. Therefore, special card storage and management are necessary, and the operator or management and maintenance personnel who handle the card must receive training. Particularly, as the spread and volume of card processors rapidly increases, the equipment operator or management and maintenance personnel must be retrained for equipment diagnosis, and this personnel training requires time and money.
(2) In the second prior technology, diagnosis of the card device is started by operating specific keys on a keyboard, so complicated keyboard procedures are required. Therefore, it is necessary to train the operator or management and maintenance personnel of the complicated keyboard procedures. Similarly, the operator or management and maintenance personnel must be retrained for equipment diagnosis, and this personnel training requires time and money.
(3) Furthermore, for card data reading errors that occur in diagnosis processing due to the combination of card and card processor, a problem occurs in that it is not possible to distinguish whether the error is due to the card or the processor.
The objective of this invention is to provide a card processing device and card processing method for reading or writing card data where easily not only trained operators and personnel but all operators can operate a diagnose of the device.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a card processing device and card processing method for starting diagnosis by a simple operation without the use of a special card.
Moreover, another objective of this invention is to provide a card processing device and processing method for starting diagnosis by a simple operation without complicated procedures such as the use of certain keys.
Furthermore, another objective of this invention is to provide a card processing device and processing method for identifying the cause of card data reading errors during diagnosis.
In order to accomplish the objectives of this invention, the card processing device of one feature of this invention comprises a card insert port, means for moving a card, detection means for detecting the card at the card insert port, means for reading data on the card, a switch for turning on power to the device, and a control unit for selectively executing normal processing of moving the card that is inserted from the card insert port and reading the card data, or diagnosis processing which performs diagnosis of the device. When the detection means detects a card when the switch is turned ON, the control unit executes the diagnosis processing, and when the detection means does not detect a card when the switch is turned ON, the control unit executes the normal processing.
The card processing method of one feature of this invention comprises a step of determining whether the detection means located in the proximity of a card insert port detects a card when power on, a step of moving the card that is inserted from the card insert port, reading the card data and performing diagnosis of a device when the detection means detect a card, and a step of moving the card that is inserted from the card insert port, reading the card data and performing normal processing when the detection means do not detect a card.
In this feature of the invention, it is possible to perform diagnosis of the device from normal processing by pressing a switch after inserting the card, so diagnosis can be started without a special card or a complicated procedure. Therefore, it is possible for people other than specially trained operators and personnel to start diagnosis easily, so special operators or personnel are not necessary.
In the card processing device of another feature of the invention, the control unit switches to normal processing when the card does not move inside the processor ever after a set amount of time elapses after the detection means detects the card.
In the card processing method of another feature of the invention, the diagnosis step comprises a step of switching to normal processing when the card does not move inside the device even after a set amount of time elapses after the detection means detects the card.
In this feature, once flow of diagnosis processing of the device is advanced after a sensor near the card inlet port detects the card, however it is only possible to limit the operating time for diagnosis processing within a specified time. Therefore, it is possible to return the normal processing even though error operation. Moreover, the motor idles for a long time when the card does not move inside the device after the specified time elapses and unnecessary operation continues, however it is also possible to prevent this.
In the card processor of another feature of this invention, the control unit performs diagnosis processing when the detection means at the card insert port detects a card, and performs normal processing when the detection means does not detect a card after execution of diagnosis processing.
The card processing method of another feature of the invention, comprises a step of determining whether or not the detection means at the card insert port detects a card after execution of diagnosis processing, and a step of performing diagnosis processing when the card is detected, and for performing normal processing when the card is not detected.
This feature has a function capable of selecting a plurality of processes for performing diagnosis processing of the device when the sensor at the card insert port detects a card again after execution of diagnosis processing, and for performing normal transaction processing when the sensor does not detect a card. This makes it possible to continuously execute diagnosis more than one time, so it is possible to obtain more accurate diagnosis results.
The card processing device of another feature of the invention comprises means for displaying the diagnosis results.
The card processing method of another feature of the invention comprises a step of displaying the diagnosis results.
In this feature, the card processing device displays the diagnosis results so the operator can easily check the results.
The card processing device of another feature of the invention comprises a card insert port, means for moving a card, detection means for detecting the card, means for reading data contained on the card, and a control unit for moving the card that is inserted from the card insert port, reading the card data and selectively executing normal processing for moving the card that is inserted from the card insert port and reading the card data and selectively executing device diagnosis. This control unit determines whether there is processor error or card error according to a plurality of diagnosis results from a plurality of different cards.
The processing method of another feature of this invention comprises; a first step of inserting a first card into a card insert port; a first diagnosis step of moving the first card that is inserted into the card insert port, reading the data on the first card and performing diagnosis of the device; a second step of inserting a second card into a card insert port, a second diagnosis step of moving the second card that is inserted into the card insert port, reading the data on the second card and performing diagnosis of the device; and a step of determining whether there is processor error or card error according to the first and second diagnosis results.
In this feature, it is possible to distinguish whether the cause of communication error between a card and device is due to a card error or a processor because diagnosis is performed more than once using different cards. Therefore, it is possible to obtain even more accurate diagnosis results.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.